Bittersweet

/ˈbɪtɚˌswit/ · adjective

Meaning

Both bitter and sweet..

Definitions by Sense

1. Both bitter and sweet.
2. (figurative) Expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure.
3. Of bittersweet color (see the noun section, below).
4. Bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara).
5. Bittersweetness.
6. (US) A vine, of the genus Celastrus, having small orange fruit that open to reveal red seeds.
7. A variety of apple with a bittersweet taste.
8. Any variety of clam in the family Glycymerididae

Example Sentences

bittersweet chocolate

The dark green mooncake is loaded with matcha-infused salted egg yolk custard, which gives a bittersweet taste.

The break-up was very bittersweet; they both hurt to end it, but were glad it was over.

[…] sensations of this kind, however delicious, are, at their first recognition, of a very tumultuous nature, and have very little of the opiate in them. They were, moreover, in the present case, embittered with certain circumstances, which being mixed with sweeter ingredients, tended altogether to compose a draught that might be termed bitter-sweet […]

Her eyes still shone upon the ground, and still she prolonged the bittersweet delight at seeing this humiliation of both soul and body by asking the one question whose reply would complete her sad success.

He sat beside the busy street, There, where he last had seen her face: And thronging memories, bitter-sweet, Seemed yet to haunt the ancient place:

While the final festivities were bittersweet, David and Lisa insisted on a party rather than a funeral.

The public has complicated feelings about our decision to end this trial before it ever began, and that’s OK. It’s bittersweet for us, too.

Synonyms for bittersweet

Antonyms for bittersweet

Related Words

Word Forms

• more bittersweet
• most bittersweet
• bitter-sweet
• bittersweets

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions